Machine for working uppers over lasts



v U. I. BOUCHARD. MACHQNE FOR WORKING UPPERS OVER LASTS. APPLICATIGN man nov.1s,assa.

ga mgg Patentedhne 14,1921.

its star URBAIN J, noucnnnn, or nnocirron, trnsshonusnrrs, assrenon 'ro UNITED SHOE MACHINERY oonronnrron, or rarnnson, new JERSEY, A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June ltd, 1921.

Application filed November 18, 1918. Serial No. 283,031.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, URBAIN J. BOUCHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer-v tain Improvements in Machines for VVorking Jppers 'over Lasts, of which the fol lowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,

like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for,

working uppers over lasts in the manufacture oi? boots and shoes, and more particularly to means for laying the margin of the upper over the bottom of the last in position to be fastened to the sole or insole.

The invention is herein shown as embodied in the side wiper mechanism of a well known type of pulling-over machine, in the use of which the margin of the upper at the sides oi the forepart of the shoe is wiped inward after the upper pulling operation and held in position to be fastened by the usual pulling-over tacks; but it should be understood that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to means for operating upon this particular portion of a shoe nor to machines of the particular type illustrated.

: The pulling-over machine of which the drawings serve as an illustration includes in its organization wipers which engage loally different portions of the margin of the upper in the vicinity of the respective side grippers, and it may be also in the vicinity oi the toe gripper, and wipe these portions of the margin inward over the bottom of the last after the upper has been pulled by the grippers, these wipers being mounted on supporting arms which are swung inward toward the shoe and carry means for driv ing tac rs in the margin of the upper to fasten the upper in its pulled-over condition. In order to render the wipers effective to hold the upper-against objectionable loss 01. the pulling-over tension, they are positioned on their supporting arms in such relation to the inverted shoe as to approach the shoe with portions of their wiping faces below the plane or" the sole or insole, the positioning means for the wipers permitting them first to yield backwardly upon engagement with the tensioned upper and when the upper is released by the grippers to rock yieldingly upward against spring tension as they are advanced Over the edge of the shoe bottom. The supporting arms in their inward movement are stopped in determined relation to the shoe to cause the tacks to be located at the desired distance from the edge of the shoe bottom, and since the extent of movement of the arms to carry them to the proper position necessarily varies with different sizes and styles of shoes, they are swung inward by operating means a portion of which is yieldableagainst abnormal resistance, as when the arms are stopped in their proper relation to the shoe. Such relative yield of portions of the operating means for the tacker arms is also utilized as means for actuating the tack driving mechanism.

In the use of the construction above described it has been found that in operating upon some kinds of work, such as shoes the uppers of which are made of unusually heavy stock, the resistance to the normal advancing movement of the wiper, including the spring whereby its upward rocking movement is controlled, sometimes overbalances the tension of the yielding element in the means for swinging the arm to operative position and in consequence the arm may fail to advance into such relation to the shoe as to cause the upper to be properly overwiped and the tacks to be driven at the correct distance from the edge of the shoe bottom. In operating, moreover, upon shoes the insoles of which are made of comparatively thin and yieldable material, it sometimes results that the pressure of the wiper inward against the edge of the insole during its rocking movement in wiping the upper over the edge tends to wrinkle and displace the margin of the insole and to force it inward from the edge of the last.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction such as to avoid the above mentioned diiliculties and permit the upper to be properly overwiped and fastened wha ever may be the character of the materials of which the shoe is made. With this as well as other objects in view, a feature of the invention consists in a novel construction of wiper mechanism in the usejof which the wiper may be readily positioned in different relations to the plane of the shoe bottom in accordance with the charmay be to decrease the effective pressure of the wiper against that portion of the upper which is opposite to the edge of the sole or insole. Failure of the wiper or of the tackers to operate properly upon some kinds of work for reasons such as hereinabove ex plained may thus be obviated.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, V Figure 1 is a view in elevation, and partly in section, of a portion of a pulling-over machine in which the invention is shown as embodied;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the wiper mechanisms shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section,

of a portion of the operating mechanism for the side tacker arms shown in Fig. 1.

For purposes of illustration the invention is herein shown as embodied in a type of pulling-over machine characteristic features of which are described in detail in United.

States Letters Patent No. 1,029,387, granted on June 11, 1912, upon an application of R F. McFeely, and for information supplementary to the following description with reference to the construction and operation of tlie illustrative machine as a whole, reference may be made to said patent. As shown in Fig. 1, the machine includes in its organization shoe positioning means comprising a shoe rest 2 and supports t to position the shoe laterally and uphold it for the operation of the tackers, side grippers 6 which are operated to tension the. upper transversely overthe forepart of the last and subsequently to draw the margin inward over the sole or insole, and side tacker arms 8 which are swung inwardly toward the shoe in unison with the overdrawing movement of the grippers into position for driving tacks to hold the upper in its pulledover condition. The tacker arms carry tackers comprising tack blocks 10 and drivers 12 which are mounted on the lower ends of driver bars 13, and the arms carry also stops 14 which are arranged to engage abutment surfaces 16 on the shoe supports 1 to limit the inward movement of the tacker arms and position the tack blocks relatively to the shoe for driving the tacks at the desired distance from the edge of the shoe bottom. A. portion of the mechanism for swinging the tacker arms to operative position and for actuating the tack driver bars is shown in detail in Fig. 4 and comprises a rack bar 18 provided on its opposite sides with teeth in engagement with the teeth of segmental gears 20 which areoperatively connected in turn to rack slides 22. The side tacker arms 8 are connected to slides 24L which are arranged to be operated by the rack slides22 through yieldable connections including ipring plungers 26 carried by the slides 22.

ovement of the bar 18 thus serves to swing the arms 8 inwardly toward the shoe until resistance is encountered sufficient to over come the spring plungers 26, as for example, when the stops 1 1 encounter the abutments 16, whereupon the spring plungers will yield during the continued movement of the bar 18 and permit the slides 22 to move relatively to the slides 24:. The proper relation of the side tacker arms to the shoe is thus determined automatically irrespective of the width of the shoe, and the movement of slides 22 relatively to slides 24 is also utilized as means to actuate the tack driver bars 13 for driving the tacks, as explained more in detail in the prior McFeely patent above mentioned.

Mounted upon the lower end of each of the tacker arms 8 are a pair of wiper plates 28 for wiping over the shoe bottom that portion of the margin of the upper which I is engaged and pulled by the grippers and for holding it in position to be fastened by the tacks, the wipers being provided with slots 30 through which the tacks may be driven. Each pair of wiper plates 28 is supported in a block 32 which is'secured to the lower end of the arm 8 and is provided with a guideway 53% so constructed as to permit relative movement of the wipers and the arm 8 toward or from the shoe and also to permit the wipers to tip in directions transverse to the plane of the shoe bottom. At their outer ends the wipers are provided with downwardly turned projections 36 which are slotted to embrace bolts 38 slidingly mounted in the block 32. Springs 450 on the bolts 38 tend to move them in a direction to force the wipers forwardly toward the shoe. Mounted also in the block 32 are spring plungers 42 which underlie the outer end portions of the wipers and tend to tip them in a direction to depress their front end portions relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom. As shown in Fig. 1, the wipers are normally tipped at such an incline that portions of their wiping faces extend downwardly substantially below the plane of the shoe bottom, the wiper in its operative movement thus pressing the upper inward substantially against the edge of the sole or insole and then rocking upwardly as it advances over the shoe bottom to overlay the margin of the upper and hold it in position for tacking. In order to guide the wipers over the edge of the shoe bottom and permit them thus to press the upper inward against the edge of the shoe prior to their upward rocking movement, they are provided at their front ends with upturned portions which engage the shoe materials at an angle to the plane of the shoe bottom. features of the wiper mechanism herein shown are described more fully and claimed in a prior application of R. F. MoFeely, Serial No. 211,849, filed on January 14, 1918, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

It will be understood that in the operation f the machine the tacker arms 8 are swung inwardly toward the shoe during the overlaying movement of the grippers 6 and before the grippers release the margin of the upper, and at a certain stage in the operations tripping devices l-i on the grippers are engaged the tacker arms to cause the grippers to release the margin of the upper. its the arms are swung inwardly they carry the front ends of the wipers 28 into engagement with the tensioned upper which is still engaged and held by the grippers, and as the vipers are thus held back by engagement with the upper the sprin s yield to permit the arms 8 to continue their movement toward the shoe. W hen the grippers release the upper in consequence of operation of the tripping devices A, the springs 40 react to force the wipers forwardly toward and over the shoe during continued inward movement of the arms 8. As the wipers are thus advanced, they press the upper inward against the edge of the or insole and are then tipped against the resistance of the spring plungers 1-2 during their continued movement to lay the upper over the shoe bottom.

For the purposes of this invention, each of the wiper bloclzs 32 carries an upright pin upon which is slidably mounted a washer arranged to overlie the outer end portions of tie two wiper plates 28. Pivotally mounted on the pin i6 to swing through substantially 180 degrees of movement is a stop which is arranged to engage the upper surface of the washer 48. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the pivot 52 for the stop 50 is positioned at a greater distance from one side of the stop than fromthe other side, and the stop thus constitutes what is in effect a cam or eccentric tooperate upon the washer i8 and determine different ositions of the wipers. When the stop is esitioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it de- .mines a limit of tipping movement of the wipers such that the front ends of the Certain wipers are depressed relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom to cause the wipers to operate upon the shoe in the manner hereinbefore described. By turning the stop 50 through a half revolution from the position shown in Fig. 3, the rear end portions of the wiper plates may be forced downward against the pressure of the spring plungers a2 and the front ends of the wipers thus elevated relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom. The front ends of the wipers may thus be so positioned as more nearly to afiord clearance between their wiping faces and the overlaid upper materials, and thereby to avoid substantial pressure of the wipers inward against the edge of the sole or insole and also to decrease the resistance to the operative movement of the wipers and their supporting arms 8. In the case of a shoe the insole of which is made of comparatively yieldable material the use of the stop 50 as above described permits the wipers to be adjusted for operating upon the shoe in such manner as to avoid pressure against the insole suiiicient to wrinkle it or displace it upon the last. In operating, moreover, upon shoes the uppers of which are made of comparatively heavy stock, the adjustment of the wipers into such relation to the plane of the shoe bottom as to eliminate substantially the necessity for depression of the spring plungers e2 by the resistance of the work insures against premature excessive resistance to the inward movement of the supporting tacker arms 8 such as to overbalance the resistance of the spring plungers 26 in the operating mechanism for the arms, which might prevent the arms from advancing to their proper limits of movement, and thus cause the tacks to be driven too near the edge of the shoe or discharged entirely outside of the shoe. 7

While the invention is shown as embodied in a construction which has proved to be particularly well adapted for practical use, it wiil be understood that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the illustrated constructional details, and it is also to be understood that the term wiper is used herein for purposes of designation without the intention to restrict the invention. with respect to the precise character 0 the overlaying member.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the

shoeif the wiper is held back by the shoe materials, yieldablemeans on the support to force the wiper forwardly toward the shoe and also to depress its over-wiping portion in a normal initial relation to the plane of the shoe bottom, and means constructed for use move relatively to the support in directions transverse the plane of the shoe bottom and also to permit the support to move relatively to the wiper in the direction of the shoe if the wiper is held back by the shoe materials, means comprising a spring on said support for depressing the overwiping portion of the wiper in a normal initial relation to the plane OfllllG shoe bottom, and means constructed for use at the will of the operator to position the wiper against the tension of said spring in a different relation to the work more nearly ailording clearance between the wiper and thematerialson the shoe bottom while still permitting the relative movement of the support and the wiper in the directionot the shoe.

3. Ina machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a wiper support mounted for operative movement toward the shoe, a wiper so mounted on said supportas to permit it to tip relatively to the support in directions transverse to the plane of the shoe bottom and also to permit the support to move relatively to the wiper in the direction of the shoe if the wiper is held back by the shoe materials, means comprising a spring for tipping the wiper on the support in a direction to depress its front end in a normal initial relation to the. supportand to the plane of the shoe bottom while permitting it to yield in response to resistance of the materials on the shoe bottom, and means constructed for use at the will of the operator to hold the wiper against the tension of said spring in a different angular relation to said support such as to decrease the resistance to operative movement of the wiper over the shoe. V

i. Ina machine 01" the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a wiper support mounted for operative movement toward the shoe, a wiper so mounted on said support as to permit it to tip relatively to the support in directions transverse to the plane of the shoe bottom and also to permit the support to move relatively to the wiper in the direction of the shoe if the in response to resistance of the materials on the shoe bottom, and adjusting means arranged to cooperate with said spring to determine different normal angular relations between the wiper and the support while permitting the relative 'movement of the support and thewiper in the direction of the shoe.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a wiper support, a wiper on said support, the support having a guidway in which the wiper is mounted for sliding movement toward or from the shoe and also for tipping movement relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom, a spring for tipping the wiper in a direction to depress its front end relatively to the'plane of the shoe bottom, and means arranged to cooperate with said SDl'iH to determine different limits of de a wiper support mounted for operative movement toward the shoe, a wiper mounted on said support for sliding movement toward and from the shoe and also for tipping movement relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom, a spring to force the wiper forwardly toward the shoe, a second spring to tip the wiper in a direction to depress its front end relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom, and a stop device arranged to tip the wiper against the tension of said second spring to adjust the relative extent of nor mal depression of its front end portion.

7 In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of

a wiper support, a wiper on said support,

the support having a guideway in which the wiper is mounted for movement relatively to the support toward or from the shoe and also for tipping movement relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom, a spring on said support to force the wiper forwardly toward the shoe, a second'spring to tip the wiper in a direction to depress its front end relatively to the plane of? the shoe bottom, a pin on said support, awasher mounted on said pin and arranged to overlie a portion of the wiper, and a cam member pivotally mounted on the pin. for engagement with said washer to tip the wiper adjustably against the tension of said second spring.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a wiper support. mounted for operative movement toward the shoe, a wiper mounted on said support for'movement relatively to plane of the shoe bottom, a spring on the support for forcing the wiper in a direction to bring pressure to bear upon the materials on the shoe bottom in the overlaying movement of the wiper, and a cam device having a prescribed range oi movement to adjust the wiper against the tension of said spring into a predetermined positional relation to the shoe.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a wiper for laying the margin oi the upper over the sole or the shoe, means comprising a spring for inclining the wiper relatively to the plane of the sole, and a pivoted stop movable between dii ferent positions to adjust the angular relation of the wiper to the plane of the sole.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a wiper for laying the margin of the upper over the sole of the shoe, said wiper being yieldalole in different directions in its operative movement and having its frontend shaped to guide it over the edge oi the shoe, means for positioning the wiper normally in such relation to the shoe as to cause it to press the upper inward against the edge of the sole in advance or its wiping movement over the sole, and means con structed for use at the will or" the operator to position the wiper in such difi'erent relation to the shoe as to cause it to wipe the upper inward without substantial pressure against said edge.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a wiper for laying the margin or the upper over the sole of the shoe, said wiper being mounted to tip and also to yield outwardly from the shoe in its opera ve movement and having its front end shaped to guide it over the edge of the shoe, spring means for inclining the wiper relatively to the plane of the sole with its wiping face intersecting said plane to cause it to press the upper against the edge of the Sole in advance of its movement over the sole, and means constructed for use at the will of the operator to position the wiper in such different relation to the plane of the sole as to avoid substantial pressure against said edge.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a tacker including tack driving means for fastening the margin of the upper to the sole of the shoe, means for moving said taclrer to operative position, means for determining a limit of movement or" the tacker to cause its tack to be driven at a predetermined distance from the edge of the shoe, means responsive to resistance to the movement of the tacker for actuating said driving means, a wiper carried by said tacker for laying the margin of the upper over the sole in position to be tacked, said wiper having its :tront end shaped to guide it over the edge of the shoe, spring means for depressing the front end of the wiper relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom while permitting it to yield in response to resistance of the materials on the shoe bottom, and means constructed for use at the will oi the operator to hold the wiper against the tension of said sprin means with its front end relatively elevated for decreasing the resistance to movement oi" the tacker into proper relation to the shoe.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means and a pullingover gripper, of a tacker arm movable toward and from the shoe, a wiper carried by said acker arm for operating locally upon the oortion oi the upper engaged by said gripper to wipe it into position to be tacked, said wiper being mounted for tipping mo ement and for lengthwise yielding movement relatively to the tacker arm, spring means for tipping said wiper in a direction to depress its "front end relatively to the plane of the shoe bot tom, and means for adjusting the wiper against the tension of said spring means to elevate its front end relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom.

1%. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a wiper support, a wiper comp ising a comparatively narrow plate mounted on said support and extending lengthwise toward the shoe, spring for tipping said wiper relatively to its support in a direction to bring oressure to bear upon the shoe, and a cam device having a prescribed range of movement to tip the wiper adjustably lost the tension ot said spring into a redetermined operative relation to the shoe.

15. in a machine the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a wiper support, a wiper mounted on said support for tipping movement and for lengthwise yielding movement relatively to the support, said wiper comprising plate extending toward the shoe with its front end shaped to guide it over the edge of the shoe bottom, a spring for tipping said wiper to depress its front end in a normal initial relation to the plane of the shoe bottom, and means arranged to overlie the outer end portion oi the wiper to hold it against the tension of said spring in a different position more nearly affording clearance between the front end of the wiper and the shoe materials.

16. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of awiper movable inwardly to lay the margin of the upper over the sole of the shoe, said wiper being mounted totip in a direction transverse to the plane oi the sole in rcsponse'to resistance of the shoe materials, spring means arranged to oppose yieldlng resistance to sald tlppmg movement of the wiper, and an eccentric stop pivoted plates being mounted to tip in a direction transverse to the plane of the sole in response to resistance of the shoe materials, spring means arranged to oppose yielding resistance tosaid tipping movement of the plates, and means mounted substantially between said plates and having a portion arranged to overlap both plates for adjusting them against the tension of said spring means. 7

18. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a pair of wiper members positioned adjacent to each other for inward movement over the shoe bottomfsaid members being mounted to yield transversely of the plane of the shoe bottom in response to resistance of the shoe materials, spring means against which said wipers are thus yieldingly movable, and an adjusting device common to both said wipermembers to determine different initial positions of the members relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom. K 19. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe positioning means, of a wiper member mounted for inward movement over the shoe bottom and yieldingly movable transversely of the plane of the shoe bottom in response to resistance of the shoe materials, spring means against which said wiper is thus yieldingly movable, and an adjusting device having a prescribed range of movement from one determina-te position to another to alter the initial position of the wiper relatively to the plane of the shoe bottom.

In testimonywhereof I have signed my name to this specification.

URBAIN J BOUCHARD. 

